Strictly speaking, we are unaware of why the ear hair of older men seems to grow out of control. We are aware that some older people have really hairy ears, we just don’t know why or how the numbers compare with the ear hair of younger people. Scientific research has uncovered a few facts on the subject, but most of what we say we know is still only theory. We have no concrete proof.

To begin, it’s important to know that everyone has ear hair, just as everyone, men and women, have facial hair. For most young women facial hair and ear hair is light, thin, and short. Some of it can barely be seen with the naked eye. In our ears, hair plays an important role. Tiny little hairs inside the ear canal and on the outside of the ear protect us from dust and dirt that may be carrying bacteria from entering our ear. The hairs and earwax trap the dirt until it can be cleaned out. Other facts about ear hair are as follows:

• Hairy ears are passed down through genetics. We once thought we knew the gene that determined the trait, but we were wrong. We don’t know where it is.

• Doctors in the 1980s thought excessive ear hair increased the risk of heart attacks. We were wrong again.

• Hairy ears are very common for men. Almost three-quarters of men have what are deemed as hairy ears.

• No conclusive scientific evidence exists proving older men have more ear hair than younger men. Individuals pass this information on due to possibly faulty visual observation and rumor.

• Don’t ask about nose hair. There are even fewer studies done on nose hair than on ear hair.